Hello there, DelTheAUO here!
Back with another chapter. Sorry it took a while, but I managed to bring it out. Hope everyone is doing well out there.
Anyway, let's continue with this story!
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The Hokage was standing in front of his small army of Jounin in his office, awaiting the news from them. Taking a quick count of the people in the room, he sighed as he noticed one was missing. And he knew perfectly well who that was.
"Since Kakashi is the only one who hasn't come, we can start this meeting. All those whose teams passed, please step forward." he ordered, and was not at all surprised to see only two Jounin step forward. He took a deep puff from his pipe. With the low standards of the academy, it was no surprise that there would be a lot of failures. "Everyone other than Jounin Sarutobi and Jounin Yuuhi can stay if they wish to hear. Otherwise, you're dismissed." A few Jounin decided to leave to possibly have the rest of the day off.
"Now, Jounin Yuuhi, you can start with Team 8. What was the analysis of their performance?" Hiruzen asked.
"Team 8, from what I could tell, is meant to be a tracking and capture squad. So, I had them find my position in the forest near the village. It took them a few hours, but they eventually managed to find me, even after I used some Genjutsu and spread my scent all over the place. The team is balanced in terms of various ways of tracking, and make up for each other's shortcomings. Granted they have their own personal issues, but some time together as a team can fix that." Kurenai explained. Satisfied with the reasoning, the Hokage motioned Asuma to speak up.
"Team 10 is the new Ino-Shika-Cho of this generation, so their skills complement each other. I faced them in a spar, and as expected, they managed to hold their own as a team. Their connection with their parents made sure that they had no problems with each other. Their current objective should be improving their individual abilities in every important area, but that can be solved with time." Said Asuma.
"Okay, fair enough. Now then, you're all – "Hiruzen began, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. Not expecting anyone at this time, and the fact that the ANBU outside should have stopped anyone from entering for any non-urgent reason, he called them in. However, he was surprised to see the genin of Team 7 come in.
"Team 7? Why are you here? Did Kakashi not come for your test? His tardiness is really becoming an issue…" said Hiruzen, before Naruto broke him out of his train of thought.
"I apologise to interrupt you, but due to our teamwork and approach to the test, Kakashi-sensei is currently recuperating in the hospital." he said, causing every Jounin in the room to have wide eyes.
"W-What? Kakashi in the hospital? But how? Mere Genin cannot simply put a Jounin into the hospital, even if they are the Rookie of the Year!" exclaimed one of the Jounin.
"I couldn't have put it any better. What happened to Kakashi?" asked the Hokage, curious as to how Kakashi, one of his strongest Jounin was overpowered by some fresh recruits from the academy.
"Uhh…. long version or short?"
"The long version. My curiosity has been piqued."
"Okay, what we did was induce stress on Kakashi-sensei. We did it by staging an enemy attack. With some cooperation from Sasuke and Sakura, along with some well disguised Kage Bunshin, we managed to trick Kakashi-sensei into thinking that there was a foreign ninja after Sasuke's Sharingan. Due to the suddenness of the situation, he had no choice but to fight the enemy. These enemy ninjas were actually Kage Bunshin that had a Henge on them. In his haste to keep us safe, he forgot to sense the enemy's chakra. Right before he killed my clone, who was acting as the enemy leader, the clone managed to land a small cut on him with a poisoned blade, which Kakashi failed to take notice of, as he was more concerned of our well-being, and that a small cut was not painful at all. The pressure of the situation had caused his heart rate to rise exponentially, which only circulated the poison even more. After commending us for our teamwork against the enemy and passing us, the poison took effect and he passed out. We took the bells and brought him to the hospital."
Everyone in the room's jaws dropped. No way a genin was able to think of such an elaborate plan to overcome an incredibly strong adversary. Some of them frowned when they heard that the team had turned their sensei's concern for them against him. This may result in them (and Kakashi) to trust this team less in future missions, but they couldn't deny the efficiency of this strategy.
"W-wow. This was not what I expected at all. Is it really true though?" asked Hiruzen, still surprised at what he had just heard. Sasuke and Sakura each held a bell up in response and nodded. They remembered what Naruto had told them on their way here.
(Flashback)
Still stuck in the ground, Sasuke was thinking of a way to get out and beat Kakashi. His thoughts were interrupted by the jingling of a bell that landed in front of him. A familiar voice soon followed.
"I've given you a bell. Now, I'll get you out and then we'll go get Sakura." said Naruto, as he walked in front of Sasuke.
"Dobe? What are you doing here? And how do you have a bell?" Sasuke demanded, seeing as his objective was completed by another.
"You will have your answers and the bell, if you agree to follow my instructions. Your response will decide if you will get this bell or not." said Naruto as he picked up the bell.
Before Sasuke could begin his demands again, Sakura rushed into the clearing, only to see Sasuke buried up to his neck, and Naruto with a bell in his hand.
"Nar- "before she could yell, a kunai landed on the ground right where she would've taken her next step.
"Be quiet, will you? I didn't do this to him, so don't take your anger out on me. Now that you're here, that saves me the trouble of finding you. I'll give you the same deal as Sasuke. You can have your answers and a bell, but only if you agree to follow my instructions."
"You baka! Why would we listen to you? I'll get Sasuke out of here, and we'll just get the bells from you!" yelled Sakura, as she walked over to Sasuke, intent on getting him out.
Naruto sighed. Looks like he'd have to pull out the last card. "You try any of that, and I won't hesitate to destroy the bells. All three of us will fail in that case." he said, as violet sparks emitted from the hand that was not holding the bells.
Sakura froze. This did not leave her with any choice now. By the time she got Sasuke out, the bells would be destroyed, and with them, their ticket to passing. Looking at Sasuke, she saw the irritated look on his face, not liking this situation at all.
'If the Dobe destroys the bells, we won't have a chance of passing at all. At this rate, I'll be even further away from killing him. Looks like I have no choice. I'll follow his 'instructions' for now.' thought Sasuke, as he weighed his options.
"Fine. I'll follow your instructions as you call it. But it better not be something outrageous. I still want answers however." said Sasuke, still annoyed, but content with the decision. As long as he became stronger.
"Are you sure Sasuke-kun? He could- "began Sakura, only to be interrupted by a harsh glare from the boy.
"I trust that you will stick to your end of the deal." Said Naruto, as he pulled Sasuke out of the ground with Sakura's assistance. The three of them returned to a Naruto clone guarding Kakashi's unconscious body.
"As I said, you will have your answers as well. For now, we need to get him to the hospital. Can't leave him here after all." he said, as he tossed the bells to Sasuke and Sakura. "As for the 'instructions', there is only one. React naturally when you have to. As for what to react to, you will know very soon."
(End Flashback)
'I see. So, this is what he meant.' Thought Sasuke, still surprised at what he heard. Was this a story that was made up? Or was this what had actually happened, and the roles of Sasuke and Sakura were replaced by transformed clones? Either way, he was somewhat taken back by the effectiveness of the plan. He didn't show it on his face, however.
"Well then, since you say Kakashi passed you, I'll have to hear from the man himself to confirm it. But given the circumstances, you'll likely pass. You can leave now. I'll have Kakashi contact you when he returns." said Hiruzen. The genin nodded and left the room, eager to return to their homes.
"I think we have just witnessed the first time a team has managed to clear the bell test by force. As much as I don't like the fact that they exploited Kakashi's intent on protecting his team like that, it ended up working in the end. Knowing Kakashi, he probably told them to give it their best shot. Now, you all can leave. I'll check up on him." said Hiruzen as everyone remaining in the office left for their own destinations.
(A week later)
'So…. today is our first day as Team 7 huh. I wonder what he'll make us do? Some training for our individual skills? Or some team exercises?' thought Naruto, as he was being brought up to ground level.
"I guess it depends. Back in St. Freya, both were emphasised on. After all, each member of a team should have a similar overall strength level. That way, they can coordinate with each other using their own limits as an example. Of course, there can be some exceptions, but the gap isn't too far apart. I still remember when a certain someone used to get beaten down by the Major every other week."said Mei with a chuckle, getting a groan from Kiana.
"Seeeeenpaaaaai why did you have to tell him that?" whined Kiana, blushing from embarrassment.
"Aww come on. A little teasing never hurt anyone. As a matter of fact, he used to act like you when he was training with Fu Hua in the replication device. So he knows what a little beat down feels like."now it was his turn to be embarrassed.
(A few minutes later, at the training ground)
The genin of Team 7 were waiting for their sensei to show up, which is something they suspected was going to be a regular thing. Sasuke was brooding…as usual, while taking the occasional glances at the Herrscher, thinking of how someone his age managed to overpower someone with way more combat experience. Sakura was, as usual, daydreaming about (most likely) Sasuke, and Naruto was laying on the ground, with his eyes closed.
Suddenly, their sensei arrived in the typical Shunshin, startling Sakura, who was not used to people appearing out of nowhere. Taking another look at his team, who had now gathered to his position, he prepared himself for the challenge that was to come.
"Okay, since you're officially a team now, it's time for introductions! Usually, I do this before the test, but since the teams that I was given before you three have failed the bell test, I didn't expect you to clear it either!" Said Kakashi in a cheerful tone, as if the events that occurred a week ago never happened.
"We'll start with you pinky! Tell us about yourself. Likes? Dislikes? Dream for the future? Things like that."
"Uhh…why don't you start first as an example sensei?" asked the girl, making the other three sweat drop. 'And she was supposed to be the smartest in the class?' was the collective thought.
"Alright then, I'll start. My name is Kakashi Hatake, Jounin of Konoha. My likes…hmm…you're too young to know. My dislikes are traitors. Hobbies…same as the first one. Dreams for the future? Don't really know. Now it's your turn." he said.
'He didn't really say much.' thought the genin. "Okay, my name is Sakura Haruno, Genin of Konoha. I like…*stares at Sasuke*…My hobbies are…*stares at Sasuke*… Dreams for the future are…*squeals*"
"*sigh*…fangirls" muttered Kakashi, inaudible to the others. "I don't even want to know her dislikes. Okay. Next is you girly boy." he said, trying to get a rise out of his student, only to be disappointed by the lack of reaction.
"Alright then. Naruto Uzumaki, Genin of Konoha. Likes are training and some very special people. Dislikes are…hmm…can't think of any right now. Hobbies? Training, I guess. Dreams for the future? No. It's more of a goal. To eliminate all conflict in the world." he said, with a straight face and only a slight shift in emotion.
"Eliminating all conflict? Any ideas as to how to proceed with this?" asked Kakashi, interested in what he just heard. Most fresh genin would think of something like 'to become Hokage', or 'to live a satisfactory life'. This was completely different.
"I'll let you think about it. If you can make a close guess, I'll give you a hint." said the boy, with a challenging smirk on his face.
"Hmm…we'll get to that later. Last of all, your turn broody." said Kakashi, eliciting a snarl from the mentioned 'broody', who clearly disliked that name.
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha" emphasis on his clan name. "I don't like a lot of things and dislike many things. My dream…no, ambition, is to kill a certain man." he said, ending with a dark tone.
"You do realize that we know who you're talking about and he's an S rank wanted criminal known throughout the nations. What makes you think that nobody else will get to him first? Ever thought of that?" said Naruto, wanting to get a rise from the Uchiha, but also giving a reality check.
"I won't let that happen. I'll become strong enough to kill him before anyone else can! If he gets himself killed by someone else, I'll- "
"You'll what? Kill the one that kills him? Good luck with that. The bounty on his head will attract a lot of bounty hunters. Powerful ones at that, since he's marked as an S rank. Hmm… if he's still alive and I'm capable enough, I'll go after him if given the chance. Just because you want to kill him with your own hands, doesn't make him your target alone." said Naruto, with his eyes glowing a deep violet and with narrowed pupils, and sword in hand.
Unnerved by the words spoken to him, Sasuke was about to say something before Kakashi broke the tension. "Maa maa Naruto, don't discourage him. It's his own dream after all. What would you do if someone manages to achieve your own goals and steal your chance to accomplish it yourself?"
The glowing stopped and the blade was put away. "In that case, I would praise the person who did it. Have you already forgotten what my goal is?"
"Ah yes. To…eliminate…conflict…" Kakashi realized that this was not going well, he would have to act fast to dispel the tension.
"Anyway, the point is, don't discourage Sasuke. Having a goal to work towards is good motivation to get strong and protect ones who can't protect themselves, am I right?" said Kakashi, while regaining his composure.
"Hmm…that's true. I will not, however take my words back. It's better to accept the facts now than be disappointed later." he said and put his sword away.
"Fair enough. Now then, since we're a team, I would like to know some of your capabilities as of now. We'll work on team exercises every day, but building upon your individual strengths is just as important. We'll start with you Naruto." said Kakashi.
"I prefer kenjutsu, combined with some lightning techniques. My Taijutsu should be at an acceptable level too if needed. I still prefer using my sword as much as possible." said Naruto, making Kakashi eye smile.
"That's very good. I'm a lightning user myself, so I can teach you a few things. We need to test your affinity though. But that can come after we're done with this. Sasuke, your turn."
"I can use my clan's Taijutsu style, but as you know, I need the Sharingan to use it effectively. I can use some fire jutsu as well, along with some Shurikenjutsu." he said, getting a satisfied nod.
"Sounds pretty good. Both of you know a little more than what the academy taught, which is good. Now, Sakura, what do you have to offer to the team?" he asked the girl, why turned away after she realised that she hadn't done anything extra aside from what was taught in the academy.
"Umm…I don't really know anything aside from what was taught in the academy…" she said nervously. Kakashi sighed.
"I guess I was hoping for too much. It's fine, maybe depending on your chakra control, we could turn you into a supportive role. A close combat unit, a ranged unit, and a support unit. Sounds balanced to me. Now, let's do another test." he saw the genin freeze up. "Not that kind of test, this is more like a check-up test." they relaxed. He reached into his pouch and pulled out four pieces of paper.
"This here, is chakra paper. It was made from a plant that was supplied with chakra throughout its growth. As a result, it became sensitive to the alignment of chakra. Depending on the nature of your chakra…" he took one of the papers and channelled his chakra through it. "…the result will vary." he finished, and the paper crinkled.
"I'll explain the details later. First, the three of you do the same." he said and handed them one paper each. Sasuke's ignited into flames and turned to ash. "Hmm…that's a fire element. As expected, given your lineage." commented Kakashi. Sakura's turned brown, but that was all. "Hmm…Sakura, use more chakra." said Kakashi as the girl did so, but only the edges started to crumble. "Okay, your chakra is not very potent, but your result indicates an earth element. Since the strength of your chakra cannot change, we need to work on increasing your reserves." he said, and she nodded. Naruto's paper turned slightly darker, before crinkling into a small ball and releasing a few sparks.
"Uhh…." began Kakashi trying to process the results. "I haven't seen the paper turn darker before, but it appears your lightning affinity is the strongest I've seen." said Kakashi in awe, making Sasuke turn away and seethe in jealousy.
"Okay, now that we know each other's strengths, we can start training. However, we shall start with team exercises first. After all, we pride on our teamwork in this village after all." 'It's also better to have everyone in the team get along with each other. After all, we need to maintain the loyalty of two of the biggest flight risks here.' he thought as he stared as the two boys in the team.
The Uchiha on the team started to mutter to himself. "I'd rather do some missions to improve myself rather than spend time with these two losers…". However, this was caught by Kakashi.
"Now now Sasuke, you didn't let me finish." he said with an eye smile, surprising the Genin. "I know the best way to build some teamwork. And that is…"
(Time skip)
"I am in position sensei. Target is in sight. Should I go for it?" came Naruto's voice.
"Feel free. The others are in position too in case something goes wrong." said Kakashi from his vantage point, looking at his students hidden in various positions.
"Okay. I'm going for it. You two be prepared." he said as he pointed his finger at their target, who appeared to be sound asleep, but looked like they could jump at a moment's notice. With no prior warning, a small bolt of electricity burst from the finger and made contact with the target, successfully paralyzing them.
"Target captured…for the 14th time. Damnit sensei, how many times will this thing escape?" said a clearly annoyed Naruto, as he picked up the 'target' which was a cat.
"I'm not sure, but we cannot question certain things." said Kakashi, as he jumped down, and walked up to the boy, along with the rest of the team.
"3 hours this time. Looks like this is a new personal best." he said with an eye smile. "Let's go to the Mission Room now. Our client should be happy."
(Later, in the Mission Room)
"Oh, my sweet Tora! You got him at last!" squealed a very…big boned woman, as she glomped the recovered cat. Said cat began gasping for air and tried to escape from his owner.
'So that's why it runs away…' was the collective thought of the genin, as the woman and the cat left the room.
"Well done Team 7. Now, for your next mission, you can either de-weed this garden, or help with moving things for this business, or…" began the Hokage, before a familiar "TORA, COME BACK" came out from outside the room." …or go catch Tora again." he finished and took a puff from his pipe. One of the genin on the team was at his limit by this point.
"I refuse to do any more menial chores! I want a mission of higher difficulty that can stretch my abilities to their limit, and not these pathetic missions" he spat the last word with venom. He has hated that cat and refused to go near it after it nearly scratched out his precious eyes.
"As much as I would like to remain silent, I agree as well. These missions are not worth our time, and they can be done by academy students. Our time can be better spent training our individual abilities." said Naruto, as he was cleaning and inspecting his sword's condition.
"Hmm…very well. Kakashi, do you think that they are ready for a C rank mission?" said the Hokage, and Kakashi entered his 'serious Jounin mode'.
"Their teamwork could use some more work, but after what happened during the bell test, they could probably handle some bandits or so. A C rank mission would give them some much needed experience too." said Kakashi seriously. Iruka, who had been silently sitting there, began to object.
"Hokage-sama, you can't be serious here. They've been genin for a very short time and you're already giving them a C rank?" exclaimed Iruka, making his own opinion known. Kakashi shot him a cold glare.
"They are no longer your students Iruka. They are my soldiers now. They're much different from when they left the academy. Considering that they were able to clear my test, and by force at that, they are plenty capable. I would even go as far as to say that they were holding back in the academy. Especially Naruto." he said firmly.
"Kakashi is right Iruka, they are under his command now. If he considers them ready, then they're ready." said the Hokage with a stern expression. Iruka apologetically sat down.
"Now, for your C rank, we have only one at the moment, but it should suffice. In fact, the client is waiting outside. Please escort him in." said the Hokage to a chuunin at the door, who left the room. The genin began to wonder who the client was. Was he some sort of noble to protect? Or someone who wanted something to be recovered? They had a brief idea of what kind of missions C ranks consisted of. Bodyguard duties, object recovery, protection of small towns and villages from bandits, and the like. Nothing involving ninja.
They were interrupted by an old man entering the room, clearly drunk. Even though he looked old, his body was well built, indicating a profession involving laborious work. The bottle of sake in his hand, however, was very off putting.
"Huh? I asked for ninja. Not a one-eyed freak, an emo kid, and two girls who don't even look like they- "he spoke in a slur, before he was interrupted by his sake bottle shattering into bits. The sudden noise awoke him from his drunken state, only to see the source of the incident was one of the 'girls' holding a sword that sparked with blue electricity pointed at where the bottle used to be. He also heard a distinctly male voice escape from their lips.
"Client-san, I suggest not underestimating us. If you want someone else, I suggest you pay up for a higher ranked mission." he said, with no emotion, as the sword was now pointed at said client. "Also, as you can tell by my voice, I'm a guy."
The old man froze at the statement, which did not go unnoticed by Kakashi. "Uhhh…it's fine, I'm cool with you. Just…just be on time tomorrow morning at 7 AM." he said, as the frightened client quickly left the room.
Hiruzen sighed. Way to make a first impression. "Naruto-kun, please do not antagonize the client. You don't need to like them. Just…put up with their antics, will you?"
The boy sighed and put his sword away. "Fine. But if he shows up drunk again, I'm paralyzing him. Anyway, what are we supposed to do?"
"The client's name is Tazuna, and you have to escort him to Nami no Kuni. It's a few weeks away from Konoha, so pack up for a long trip." said Hiruzen, while making a mental note to send an ANBU to Tazuna's residence to warn him. Being informed of Naruto's abilities with lightning by Kakashi, he wasn't going to take any chances.
He still wondered how that boy had such control over lightning. It's like he was meant to rule the element altogether. And that darkening of the chakra paper…that was something that was never recorded at all. And there was still the matter of the Kyuubi, but Hiruzen shook off those thoughts.
Kakashi, then turned to his students. "Alright. Tomorrow at the eastern gate at 7 AM. Don't be late." he said, and immediately disappeared in a shunshin. Excited at the prospect of a mission of higher difficulty, the genin began to leave, before Iruka walked up to them.
"Look…I don't know if you're ready or not, but Kakashi thinks you're ready. I can count on him to protect you three, but please be careful." said Iruka with genuine worry.
"Don't worry Iruka-sensei, we will be careful. Just have some more faith in us." said Naruto, giving a slight smile. Iruka returned the smile, and went back to his seat, and the genin left the room.
(Next morning)
Having received the warning, Tazuna had arrived at the gate, completely sober. He did not want to risk getting fried to a crisp. The genin of the team were waiting there for him. The Jounin was nowhere in sight however.
"Okay, now where is that guy? I don't want to wait forever for him." he said, irritated.
"Knowing him, he will-" began Sakura, but was interrupted by a Shunshin, and the familiar face of their one-eyed Jounin sensei. The genin's eyes widened and they tried to dispel the supposed Genjutsu they were in.
"Seriously, this is what you think of me?" said Kakashi, with a fake hurt voice, only to receive a deadpan stare from all three of his students. "…okay, I should've seen this coming. Let's get going them." he quickly said, diverting the topic.
"Sooo Naruto, this is your first time officially leaving the village. How do you feel?" came Kiana's voice. Both her and Mei were interested to see the world outside the village area.
'I'm excited to see what the world offers. There's only so much in the village after all. Since it's a C rank, chances of encountering ninja are very slim, so I can take in the sights of the world.' said Naruto, with the excitement noticeable in his mental voice.
The team along with their client left through the gates, and the barrier that was built around Konoha to detect intruders. The instant Naruto took his first step out of the barrier, a surge of energy burst out from him, and into the sky. It was unnoticeable to the genin and the client, and Kakashi only noticed a surge of bright light in the peripheral vision of his left eye, before it immediately faded. Ignoring this, he continued to lead the team.
Meanwhile in the seal, Mei and Kiana noticed the surge. "Wait, why did Honkai energy burst out like that? It's never happened before" said Kiana, worried about the unexpected action.
"I have no idea Kiana. Maybe it's because of the village's seal that prevented high levels of energy from leaking out? Or did we go out of the base's barrier's range?" hypothesized Mei. "Either way, I don't think anyone saw that…unless…"
(In one of the mountains of Kaminari no Kuni)
Near the top of a tall mountain that nearly reached the clouds, there was a small cave with a very faint light coming from it. Inside the cave, bright red eyes flashed open.
"So…one of them has awakened." said a voice. " I wonder which one." said the owner of the voice as they stood up from their seated position, and grabbed a red cloak hanging from the rock.
"Only one way to find out." they said as a cloaked figure dashed out of the cave at extreme speeds and ran down the mountain. They passed a broken sign board which appeared to be very worn out. The only part that could be made out was:
M-u- -a- X-
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This took a while, since there's lot of lore coming out with every patch, so I don't want to include too much outdated stuff in this. So please bear with me if updates become much slower. Each patch gets only 1 new chapter and it lasts a month. APHO had some new info, but its story isn't updated as frequently either. So please don't expect the next chapter to come until 4.1 ends at the very least. (not going to guarantee that it will come immediately as soon as it ends, but I will try my best)
Also I added a summary, so please tell me how it is.
As usual, Review Please! Positive feedback is very much welcome, constructive criticism will be accepted, but flames will be ignored.
As usual, please let me know if the quality of writing has declined since the last chapter. That way, I'll see if there's a way I can improve the next one.
Thanks for reading this chapter!
DelTheAUO, Out.
